“The First 50 Years of Outboard Motors – Ingenuity, Craftsmanship, and Pizzazz” Exhibit

April 2 - April 30

Outboard motors are a purposeful type of industrial art with functional beauty. In the early years for outboards, designers sought to broaden their appeal by embellishing them with colorful decals, shrouding their mechanical parts with streamlined cowlings, and advertising them for lifestyles involving fishing, racing, and a broad range of family boating adventures.

To tell the story of the first 50 years of outboard motors, Dave is exhibiting about fifteen motors from his collection, plus five or more significant motors on loan from fellow AOMCI members. The exhibition is in the Virginia A. Carten Gallery, on the lower level of the Abbot Public Library, 235 Pleasant Street in Marblehead, MA. It will run from April 2nd to April 30th. A talk on this subject will be presented at the Library on Wednesday evening, April 10th. The talk is from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The talk will be preceded by a public reception with refreshments, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

1948 Johnson HD-25

From the single cylinder Evinrude Model A Detachable Rowboat Motor, dating back to around 1910, to the beautiful Mercury Mark 15, from 1953, the exhibition shows how outboards evolved in design, appearance, and performance. Other motors from the past on display include Johnson, Elto, Lockwood, Caille, Bendix, Neptune, Flambeau, Martin, Wizard, Elgin, and Scott-Atwater.

Dave Hostetter is a collector of antique outboard motors and a member of the Antique Outboard Motor Club International (www.aomci.org). He lives in Marblehead, MA.